Comparison

EMDR Self Therapy vs Stellar Intervals

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

EMDR Self Therapy

Features
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A step-by-step companion for practising the Flash technique at your own pace. You never have to describe or write down your memory. PLEASE NOTE: The app interface is in Turkish. In the Flash technique your attention stays on an engaging, pleasant focus rather than on the disturbing memory. A steady left-right rhythm plays in the background, and at each spoken "Flash" cue you blink naturally three times. HOW IT WORKS 1. Starter guide: learn the sound, the butterfly hug and the Flash cue without touching any memory. You can try a practice round first. 2. Positive focus: choose a place, activity or moment that feels good. Add a short note or photo if you like. 3. Rating: mark how disturbing it feels right now, from 0 to 10. 4. Sets: rounds with rhythm, spoken Flash cues and a butterfly-hug video. 5. Re-rate: continue or stop. You do not need to reach zero. 6. Closing: "Back to the present" steps bring you back to where you are. WHAT YOU GET - Left-right rhythm with headphones, centred sound on the speaker - Video guidance filmed with a real person showing the butterfly hug and the blinks - Pause, Short break and Back to the present, available at any time - Grounding and positive-focus videos - Optional history: date, number of rounds and ratings kept only on your device - Free. No ads. No subscription. PRIVACY We do not ask for memory text, voice recordings or health history. History is off by default; if you turn it on, records stay on your device. WHO IT IS FOR Adults (18+), for mild distress, as recommended by a therapist trained in the Flash technique. Without therapist support, use the practice round and the back-to-the-present steps only. Do not try to process intense or complex trauma on your own. WHO DESIGNED IT The content was designed by Assoc. Prof. Alisan Burak Yasar, MD, psychiatrist and EMDR trainer, first author of a randomized controlled trial of the Flash technique (Yasar AB et al., Frontiers in Psychology, 2022;13:845481). Those findings concern clinician-delivered Flash; the effectiveness of this digital version has not yet been clinically tested. IMPORTANT This app is not a medical device. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and does not replace psychotherapy or emergency care. If distress increases, stop and use the back-to-the-present steps. If you are at risk of harming yourself or in immediate danger, do not stay alone; call your local emergency number.

About

Stellar Intervals

Features
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Most Norwegian 4x4 timers count the clock. Stellar Intervals counts what matters: the time your heart is truly in the zone โ€” and how fast it recovers afterward. THE PROBLEM WITH CLOCK-BASED 4x4 The Norwegian 4x4 protocol calls for four 4-minute intervals above ~85% of your max heart rate. But it takes time to climb into that zone โ€” often 60 to 90 seconds. A standard timer counts that ramp-up as "work," so you get an uneven, watered-down dose every session. Two workouts that look identical on the clock can be completely different efforts. TRUE TIME IN ZONE Stellar Intervals fixes this with a heart-rate-gated timer. The interval clock starts only when you cross your 85% threshold โ€” and pauses the instant you drop below it. No more junk time. Every session delivers a true 16 minutes of high-intensity stimulus. Repeatable, predictable, honest. A CLEAN SIGNAL: HEART-RATE RECOVERY Here's what true time in zone unlocks. Heart-rate recovery (HRR) โ€” how many beats per minute your heart drops in the first minute after an interval โ€” is one of the most studied markers of cardiovascular fitness. But it's only meaningful if the effort before it was consistent. Because Stellar Intervals standardizes every interval to the same load, your HRR becomes a clean, comparable number you can trust. Track it interval to interval and week to week, and watch your fitness improve in a metric measured from your own training. THE SCIENCE The Norwegian 4x4 protocol is the gold-standard interval method for improving VO2 max โ€” and VO2 max is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health and longevity. Stellar Intervals helps you execute the protocol precisely and follow your progress through HRR, a marker researchers have long tied to heart health and aerobic fitness. FEATURES Heart-rate-gated timer โ€” counts only true time in zone Auto-pause when you fall below 85% HRmax Per-interval heart-rate recovery (HRR) tracking Long-term HRR and time-in-zone trends Works with Apple Watch and Bluetooth chest straps Sport-agnostic: run, bike, row, ski, or elliptical Apple Health integration Clean, distraction-free workout screen HONEST BY DESIGN Stellar Intervals does not estimate or claim to measure your VO2 max โ€” no app can do that accurately from your wrist. What we do measure, we measure for real: your true time in zone and your heart-rate recovery. Two numbers you can trust, both improving as you train. WHO IT'S FOR Runners, cyclists, and rowers chasing VO2 max gains. Longevity-minded people who already track HRV, sleep, and biomarkers. Anyone who wants their 4x4 done with precision instead of guesswork. Requires a heart rate source (Apple Watch, Apple Airpods Pro 3 or Bluetooth HR monitor). Start your first true interval today.

Screenshots

EMDR Self Therapy4 screens
Stellar Intervals4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: EMDR Self Therapy at none against Stellar Intervals's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
EMDR Self Therapy versus Stellar Intervals: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterEMDR Self TherapyStellar Intervals
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysโ€”
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better15.1
Further details โ€” not scored
Size12 MB41 MB
Age rating17+12+
DeveloperAlisan Burak YasarGarage Projects AB

In-app purchases

None

EMDR Self Therapy

No in-app purchases

None

Stellar Intervals

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is EMDR Self Therapy free?
EMDR Self Therapy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Stellar Intervals free?
Stellar Intervals is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do EMDR Self Therapy or Stellar Intervals have ads?
Stellar Intervals shows ads; EMDR Self Therapy does not.

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